BXBX NOVEL Chapter 69: Alarming Discovery
Still, none of the cultists had any idea that Cedric was the main reason why they were being located anywhere they hid in this city. He trusted Arishem and his group to keep his identity private so he wasn't worried at all.
After a week of scouting, Cedric located almost all of the hidden bases of the cult. He initially expected to experience some difficulty in doing so, since he only discovered them by chance during the first time, but as he went in with a clear goal in mind, he was able to locate them pretty easily.
And since he provided them with results, the Shadow Runners tore into the cultist with fervent ardor. They move fast, within an hour after his report, he will receive news of the hidden base's clearance from Arishem himself.
Initially, Cedric thought of slowing down for their sake. He thought that their organization didn't have enough members, and if he revealed multiple locations of hidden bases at once, their forces would be spread thin. However, the Shadow Runners proved him wrong.
They were inspired and ruthless in their assault. Therefore, Cedric didn't see the point of slowing them down.
Through working with Arishem and his organization closely, he was aware that there were still some hidden bases left within the city. This meant that they were not quite done yet because the Shadow Runners wanted the Cult of the Demon Saint gone from this city entirely.
This is why Cedric was still on his covert ploy; roaming around the city like a tourist and scanning everything around in clear detail to see if he had missed some places.
That said, these remaining cultists wouldn't make this easy for him. They were caught off guard at first but they wouldn't allow their hard work to be ruined just like that.
Cedric was now increasing his efforts because he was aware of this. Arishem did tell him to not push himself too far, but honestly? Cedric wasn't even close to that.
'Oh?' Cedric faintly raised a brow while he was drinking his coffee.
He's currently at a famous coffee shop near the core of the city. He had chosen this place because it was filled with activity and he could blend properly here.
He had been in this place before but he failed to notice anything in it or nearby. He returned because their coffee blend was really good and it had a relaxing ambiance, he didn't go expecting to discover traces of the cult but he had his field of senses active just in case.
Lo and behold, he was lucky this time around. Upon increasing the potency of his senses, he picked up a rather discreet trace of the cult. It was faint but it's unmistakable.
He tracked the traces and it led him peering deeper into the foundations of the cafe.
Luckily, the cafe itself and its workers were clean. He confirmed that numerous times with his senses so he couldn't be wrong. It's rather fortunate that this was the case because it would've saddened him greatly if they turned out to be traitors.
...they make really good coffee, you see. It'd be a shame to lose them.
The neighboring infrastructure to this cafe, however, wasn't that innocent.
It was a pharmacy from what he observed. One amongst the many around these parts and humble. Due to how ordinary-looking it was, it didn't leave a lasting impression on anyone.
The alarming part that he discovered about it was the fact that they built an array that released subtle and almost indiscernible fluctuations whose purpose is to give subconscious hints to ignore the place to anyone exposed to it.
Said fluctuations were really faint. Cedric almost missed it. If it weren't for the fact that his senses were strong enough to resist its effects, he wouldn't have discovered it in the first place.
Now that he was relatively certain that the place was infested with cultists, he unfolded his senses completely to see what was being hidden down there. And the results were rather alarming...
As expected, he saw another underground base. It was smaller compared to the other ones and sparsely populated. He had seen a few demons lurking around but that wasn't surprising either.
What really made this place worse than the other ones was the fact that there was a device here that he had never seen before.
Said device was buried several hundred meters deep underground, connected to a series of pipes around the entire base. Upon further inspection, he discovered that this device functions as a siphoning tool and is directly sitting on top of a Ley Line.
A Ley Line could also be described as the 'Veins' or 'Capiliaries' of the world. It is through them that the world's vitality flowed. Having a device that was directly installed in it meant that the cultist discovered a way to siphon the very vitality of this world for their nefarious purposes.
...an explanation shouldn't be needed as to why that's a bad thing.
'It looks like they're using the energy they siphoned to feed the Demons they had for sustenance. I can see several Tier 5 Demons around.'
'That's crazy. This many Tier 5 Demon was more than enough to completely decimate this entire city, burying it to nothingness.'
'Fortunately, they seem to be in a deep slumber. But still, their food was the vitality of the world. That's a potent source for them, they must've grown crazily fast and strong after receiving those.'
'Would the Shadow Runners alone suffice for this operation?'
'Not that I don't have faith or Arishem and the team, but I think this is above their paycheck.'
The base was also littered with deadly traps, alarms, and etc. This will certainly make it hard to navigate.
Cedric concluded that the cultist must've avoided going to this area to minimize the risk of its discovery. Since they know that they're being hunted and monitored, they must've tried to peel attention away from this location. Sadly, they didn't account for Cedric's existence.
'...right, there's also their method of communication. I should keep a look out on how they're doing that. Crippling their way to communicate would hamper their progress even further, meaning less harm to this city.' Cedric inwardly noted.
But, since he discovered a vital location, he had to inform the Shadow Runners about it. He went to the comfort room and entered a stall, there he made sure that nobody was spying on him before sending a message to Arishem.
[To: Arishem]
: Hey, I discovered another spot. However, this one might be quite challenging for your boys.
[From: Arishem]
: Details, please.
[To: Arishem]
: Location - Delware Pharmacy. Next to Crisanta's Cafe.
: Discoveries - Scarcely populated by Cultists. There are sightings of several Tier 5 Demons around. Absolutely filled with traps, the base was also designed like a labyrinth. They have an array that releases subtle fluctuations which gives a subliminal message to those exposed to it to ignore this place. I sensed it and I'm immune to it, that's how I discovered it.
: Unique Feature - They have a device that looks like a 'drill', buried several hundred meters deep undergrounds. Upon further inspection, I confirmed that the said 'drill' was sitting on top of a Ley Line, siphoning its energy and somehow, the cultists here discovered a way to use the siphoned energy to raise the Demons they're keeping here. That's why the place is crawling with Tier 5's.
: Remarks - the Demons are, fortunately, in slumber. They're kept in life pods (the ones you see in those sci-fi movies) and I'm guessing that they're under observation. The scary part is, if all of them woke up, this is done for. I've counted at least 20 here, so please be careful.
: I'll send you a detailed map shortly, highlighting the important areas to make it slightly easier for you. However, even with that, I honestly think that this is still above your pay grade. So, if you could call in the cavalry, now would be a good time to do so.
It took Arishem 15 minutes before he could reply.
[From: Arishem]
: As much as I want to doubt the legitimacy of your report. You never gave me a reason to do so. I honestly find it hard to believe that there's something like that in this city, but I know you wouldn't lie about something like this.
: Fucking cultists...
[To: Arishem]
: Yeah, I won't. I don't gain anything by lying to you. I'm actually quite freaked out by all of this. Anyway, here's the map. I'll leave this up to you. Good luck and please be careful.
: [Attached File.here]
[From: Arishem]
: Thanks. I'll call in some favors for this operation. Hopefully, we can solve this problem without the city being destroyed.